In a recent article in the journal Science, researchers described a process where new genes come about from parts of DNA that were thought to be useless and led to bigger brains in humans. Jim and Colin, along with Dennis Venema, discuss what’s going on and describe some of the basic science that reveals why this discovery is an exciting new development in understanding what it means to be human and how we got to be the way we are. 
Here's the article in Science
Dennis Venema is also the author of a series of BioLogos posts called Evolution Basics, meant as an introduction to the science of evolution. 
Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

148. New Genes | A Science Explainer with Dennis Venema

Sharing stories of people who have found a better way of understanding the harmony between science and Christian faith.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

Science

Francis Collins and Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire are both renowned scientists and both of them played special and important roles during the pandemic. In this conversation, the two of them remember some of the key moments in the scientific development of the COVID vaccine and talk about the many years of scientific work that prepared the way. They also discuss how their faith plays a role in their motivation for doing science and Kizzmekia talks about the challenges of running a science lab at Harvard as a woman, a person of color, and a mother. 
This conversation was recorded live in Raleigh, North Carolina at our National Faith and Science Conference. 
Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Klimenko Music, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc. 
Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

171. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire & Francis Collins | Live from Faith and Science 2024

The science of evolution has caused friction for many Christians. And science does pose some challenges to the way people have been taught to think about their faith, but those challenges don’t have to lead to a decision to reject faith—or to reject the findings of science. In fact, understanding science can lead to a deeper faith. 
Jim Stump, host of Language of God has a new book coming out—The Sacred Chain: How Understanding Evolution Leads to a Deeper Faith. In this series Jim walks through three of the challenges posed by science. 
The challenge of pain and suffering is a crucial tension and one that has vexed people for millennia. Without solving the problem, we can at least break it down and see how a world which includes pain and suffering is also a world in which creatures might have the capacity to become morally mature.
Featuring clips from previous conversations with Bethany Sollereder and Simon Conway Morris.
This is the third of a three part mini-series.
Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Vesper Tapes and Ricky Bombino, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc. 
Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

170. The Sacred Chain | The Challenge of Pain and Suffering

The science of evolution has caused friction for many Christians. And science does pose some challenges to the way people have been taught to think about their faith, but those challenges don’t have to lead to a decision to reject faith—or to reject the findings of science. In fact, understanding science can lead to a deeper faith. 
Jim Stump, host of Language of God has a new book coming out—The Sacred Chain: How Understanding Evolution Leads to a Deeper Faith. In this series Jim walks through three of the challenges posed by science. 
The challenge of the time explores the long time spans of the earth and the universe and what it means about being a human loved by God in the here and now. Featuring clips from previous conversations with John Walton & Makoto Fujimura.
This is the second of a three part mini-series.
Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Babel, Nick Petrov, & Vesper Tapes, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc. 
Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

169. The Sacred Chain | The Challenge of Time

The science of evolution has caused friction for many Christians. And science does pose some challenges to the way people have been taught to think about their faith, but those challenges don’t have to lead to a decision to reject faith—or to reject the findings of science. In fact, understanding science can lead to a deeper faith. 
Jim Stump, host of Language of God has a new book coming out—The Sacred Chain: How Understanding Evolution Leads to a Deeper Faith. In this series Jim walks through three of the challenges posed by science. 
The challenge of the Bible asks how we can continue to affirm the Bible as inspired and authoritative if the human authors believed incorrect things about the world. Did God correct their cultural-bound beliefs, or work through them, as God has always worked with imperfect people? 
Richard Middleton joins Jim for the second part of this episode to talk about biblical inspiration from the perspective of a bible scholar, and the episode features clips from a previous episode with Philip Yancey. 
This is the first of a three part mini-series.
Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Vesper Tapes, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc. 
Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

168. The Sacred Chain | The Challenge of the Bible

Special guest-host Francis Collins discusses the children's mental health epidemic with Jonathan Haidt. Haidt has been studying the causes of the high rates of depression and suicide in children for many years and has found that social media is at the root of the worsening trends. But he doesn’t just have causes in mind. He also has solutions. In this discussion--and in his new book, The Anxious Generation--he proposes solutions to be put into place in the home, in schools, and by governments. He also calls out faith communities, understanding that they can lead the way in reversing the trend of declining mental health of children.
Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Magnetize Music, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc. 
Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

148. New Genes | A Science Explainer with Dennis Venema

Download our free app to listen on your phone